Toward a Theory of Affective Pedagogical Goals for Social Justice Mathematics

Caring for student affect when teaching social justice mathematics (SJM) is important because discussions of social inequities may elicit emotional responses from students. This article extends previous conceptualizations of SJM, which typically encompass dual goals of teaching dominant and critical mathematics, by theorizing a third set of goals—affective pedagogical goals. Dominant, critical, and affective pedagogical goals are described within a framework of Three Dimensions of SJM. Two illustrative cases, one in a Title I public middle school and the other in an elite independent school, are presented to explore how affective pedagogical goals may be mediated by context. Affordances and tensions of affective pedagogical goals are discussed.